DISCLAIMER: All main, recognized characters belong to William Broyles, Jr., John Sacret Young. and Warner Bros.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A major change in the Phoenix script. Special thanks to the lovely mrswoman for the beta.
CHALLENGE: Written as part of the 1001 Nights Challenge - business
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

"Was she with you ... all night? Will you sign a sworn statement? Will you testify in court?"

The questions were directed at McMurphy as if they'd been shot from a gun, round after round hitting their mark while KC stood by anxiously awaiting the nurse's answer, her expression practically begging McMurphy to shout out a resounding 'yes.'

Instead, the ever truthful McMurphy had replied simply, "There's got to be another way."

"Her family can contact the State Department." The provost marshal turned, nodding to the MPs.

Two men grabbed KC roughly, and KC called back in disbelief, "McMurphy!" The nurse watched as the Vietnamese manhandled KC towards the jeep. Just as they'd placed her in the back of the vehicle, McMurphy started forward.

"Wait! KC was with me. I'll sign your damned statement and go to court if I have to. Just let her go."

McMurphy lay on her bunk, staring at the canvas ceiling. She'd lied for the first time in her life. KC had put her in a very difficult situation, and she'd had no other choice. She'd heard the horror stories of the Vietnamese prisons. There was no way she'd allow KC to suffer at their hands.

The nurse rolled on her side and tried to settle into a comfortable position, wondering if perhaps she should've taken up KC's offer of a drink, but just the thought of the redhead made McMurphy take the Lord's name in vain.

"Goddamn it. I can't believe she put me in that position."

Glancing at the door, McMurphy sprang from the bed. It was time to give KC a piece of her mind. Sliding into her pants, she pulled on her shirt and left her tent.

McMurphy didn't bother knocking on the door; she just burst into the room, startling KC who'd been trying to doctor the wounds on her back. The redhead spun around to confront her rude guest, but she instantly relaxed when she recognized the intruder.

"McMurphy? What are you doing here so late?"

Colleen stopped dead in her tracks, the wind gone from her sails at the sight of KC, standing in the middle of the room completely naked. It was a scenario she'd imagined many, many times in her dreams.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?"

"KC, please put some clothes on." McMurphy moved her gaze away from the naked woman; however, a glimpse of KC's unmade bed, only made matters worse. The bed had also played a major factor in her dreams.

A smirk slowly formed on KC's lips; she hadn't gotten where she was without being able to read people, and the vibes McMurphy was sending out were received loud and clear.

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd mind putting this antibiotic on my back. My nurse said it was imperative that I avoid infection setting in."

McMurphy swung her head towards the other woman, noting the tube in KC's hand, but not before she zeroed in on the fact that KC was still very naked.

"Um, could you put on a robe or something?"

KC moved towards the bed and sat on its edge, turning her back to McMurphy. She held the tube over her shoulder.

"I don't want to get any of this stuff on my new silk robe. I'll just wait until it dries."

McMurphy reached for the tube with a shaky hand, and, removing the cap, she began to slowly apply the antibiotic to the affected areas. KC hissed at the contact, and Colleen quickly pulled her hand away.

"Sorry, I'm being as gentle as I can."

"I'd have thought you'd enjoy making me suffer." KC watched the nurse's reflection in the mirror on the wall.

McMurphy bit her lower lip and sighed. "I was mad at you KC; I still am. You made me lie, and I don't ever lie."

"Yes, I'm very aware of that. You've made certain to tell me on numerous occasions."

"Then you should know how upset I am." McMurphy carefully eased the cream around the cuts.

"Yes. He pulled it from me when he was shot. I didn't kill him, Colleen."

"But you set him up. You knew he was going to die."

KC leapt from the bed. "No! No, I didn't. I thought it was simply a business deal. Do you think I'd put myself in danger like that?"

"KC? What did you think was going to happen?"

"I just thought he was going to talk to Chinh."

"Who? # 29 or Ace or whatever the hell's his name? C'mon, KC, you aren't that stupid."

KC folded her arms over her chest. "Get out."

"No. I want to know what happened."

"I'd think the blood and glass pretty much told the story."

Talk of blood brought the nurse's focus back to KC's injuries. "Sit back down and let me finish tending to your wounds."

KC glared at the other woman before retaking her seat. As soon as McMurphy had finished with the treatment, she was kicking her out. She didn't need Colleen to tell her what she'd done was wrong, she already felt bad enough as it was.

"KC, I need to know what happened. I think I've earned the right."

Opening her mouth to dispute McMurphy's claim, KC closed it just as quickly. She knew Colleen deserved an explanation, but she was hoping that their rather tenuous friendship would be enough for the other woman to just accept that KC hadn't killed Chinh and let it go at that.

"Are you finished?" KC asked quietly, glancing over her shoulder.

"Yes." McMurphy looked into blue eyes filled with sadness, but the nurse held her gaze. She wasn't going to let KC get out of explaining why she'd set up Chinh.

KC turned around on the bed, facing the other woman. She was completely aware of how her nakedness was affecting McMurphy.

"It was strictly a business deal. I do it all the time; I've just never seen the end results."

McMurphy swallowed, trying to keep her focus. "But you have to know that people are being killed while you make money off their deaths."

"Colleen, until this incident, I didn't know for sure how my information was being used. I just put it out of my mind."

"Put it out of your mind? How can you do that? People are dying, KC."

Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I have to, Colleen. If I'm going to survive, I can't think of anything else but me."

McMurphy slowly reached up and caught an escaping tear. "You've had to look after yourself your entire life, haven't you?"

Biting her lower lip, KC simply nodded her reply and leaned towards the other woman. Instinctively, Colleen pulled KC into her arms, and the redhead melted into the nurse's embrace, burrowing her face into the warmth of McMurphy's neck. Neither woman spoke another word as they held onto each other in the stillness of the night.

McMurphy closed her eyes and sighed; she could hardly believe that she was holding KC in her arms. The fact that the other woman was naked only served to make Colleen even more uncertain of the moment. She figured she'd awaken alone in her bed just as she had all the other times she'd had this particular dream, but her eyes snapped wide open at the feel of soft lips on her neck. This dream had suddenly become very animated.

Two hands slid under her shirt and quickly divested the outer layer, leaving McMurphy in her lightweight t-shirt. A few moments later, the nurse was completely topless as the busy hands had moved to the zipper of her pants. Colleen pulled away to protest, only to have her words swallowed by a pair of lips on hers, and when a silky tongue speared into her mouth, McMurphy moaned aloud, frantically moving her hands to assist KC in the removal of her fatigues.

KC smiled in the kiss, pleased with McMurphy's decision to continue. She'd wanted Colleen for so long but figured the holier-than-thou nurse would never consent to having sex with another woman much less a woman whose business was sex.

Finally, all barriers were removed, and KC pushed McMurphy back on the bed, never releasing the nurse's lips as she followed the other woman down to the mattress. Both moaned in delight at the feel of skin on skin as their long-buried desire bubbled to the surface.

McMurphy found herself quickly becoming lost in KC's touch, but a worrisome thought managed to make its way through her lust-filled ones. Reluctantly, she released KC's lips to voice her concern.

"KC, wait!"

Palming a warm breast, KC worked her lips towards an erect nipple. There was no way she was giving Colleen time to think about what they were doing.

Relaxing her grip, McMurphy slid her hand to KC's face, gently turning the blue eyes towards her. Once she was sure she had the other woman's attentions, she voiced her thoughts.

"I need to know something, KC. I need to know that this . . ." she gestured between the two of them, ". . . isn't another one of your business deals. I need to know that this isn't some kind of payback."

KC stared down into dark eyes so in need of reassurance. She could easily lie to the other woman, but KC knew she had to be truthful. McMurphy was the only person she'd ever trusted, and it was only right that she be totally honest with the nurse. With a smile, KC stilled and gently placed a hand on McMurphy's face.

"I can promise you, Colleen; this isn't a payback. This is just you and me, nothing between us, no expectation; no business deal."

McMurphy tilted her head, looking for any signs that KC was being anything but sincere. KC purposefully maintained eye contact with the other woman, allowing Colleen to see into her soul. A smile slowly spread on the nurse's lips.

"No business deal?"

KC smiled in return, shaking her head. "No business deal."

McMurphy reached to bring KC's face closer. "Don't hurt me, KC."

"I won't, Colleen. I promise."

Lips met in a gentle kiss, sealing the spoken words, and then the two women slowly took their time as they began their exploration into a new relationship.